Magical Mayhem
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: AU, FFcrossover. The Gardens are attacked, and the SeeDs must defend themselves and save their comrades. A magic wielding human is with two demons, and the fate of them all is in their hands. ON HIATUS, MOST LIKELY GOING TO BE REWRITTEN
1. I

Summery: A FF/Inuyasha mix. Please don't run away because I said that! I give credit to Striking Falcon and the story "Cross of Blades" to giving birth to this bizarre mix. I decided to write it and have some fun. If it's REALLY horrible, please tell me. A girl who's training to become a SeeD has some unusual adventures with the others.

Warning: SesshomaruXOC, AU, and very bizarre story. (smiles widely, hoping no one kills me for this idea)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, FF, or the characters. I own my stuff, last names, and spells and aeons that don't appear in any games or show. To note: Zewek is my own creation Aeon. I don't describe him in the story, but it's a turle-like form with bird elements. Use your imagination, people!

Please review if you read. NO FLAMES! Comments, ideas, criticism, and suggestions are welcome.

* * *

"Alex, you're going to be late again," Sango Reymin commented, looking at her friend sympathetically.

"I don't care anymore," the brunette, with pale-blond streaks, moaned into her pillow, "I'm never going to make it for a SeeD."

"Oh, come on," Sango replied good-naturedly, dressing in their uniforms, "It's not that bad…is it?"

"I fried Headmaster Leonheart yesterday," Alex groaned again, rolling out of her bed, "With Air Cast."

"Ow," Sango winced, and then brightened. "Hey, cheer up! Tomorrow we've got a break, and you only have to survive two classes today."

"Both advanced," Alex Cooper reminded her friend and dorm-mate, "With Spell-Mistress Lulu and Summoner Yuna."

"They're both nice," Sango offered, and Alex shot her a glare. Brushing her hair out of her blue-gray eyes, she began to dress as Sango finished.

"I pity the beginners, though," Sango continued, "I heard Administrator Selphie's in a foul mood."

"Lucky us," Alex muttered, shoving her feet into her boots. Looking around, she blinked. "Where're my daggers?"

"Over there," Sango pointed toward the door, "You left 'em there last night, remember?"

"Oh," Alex shrugged, and clipped her magically-enhanced blades, which were in sheaths similarly powered, to her belt. "Well, I'm gonna run and get something to eat. Class isn't for another hour, okay?"

"Sure," Sango nodded, as her friend ran out the door, "I'll catch you at lunch!"

* * *

"Can I sit?" Miroku, adopted brother to the Wolf demon Koga, asked teasingly.

"As long as you don't try anything," Alex retorted, "Remember, I share a dorm with your girlfriend."

"Yeah, yeah," he nodded, his black bangs hanging in his eyes. "So, what's your first class?"

"Lulu," Alex told him, "And then Yuna. Pretty light day, considering our schedule lately."

'Hmm-mm," he nodded, having a mouthful of pancakes in his mouth. Swallowing, he grinned at her. "How's Sango?"

"She's meeting Kagome at their class," she told him, "Where'd Koga go?"

"He's got a class with Inuyasha in a few minutes," Miroku thought, "I've got Lulu next as well."

"Cool," Alex nodded, and then sighed. "What're you and Sango doing tomorrow?"

"We're going into the Calm Lands district," Miroku told her, "We're borrowing a couple of Chocobos. Wanna come?"

"Nah," she shook her head, "I'm not gonna tag along on a date. I'll probably end up training extra tomorrow, as usual. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Well, if you want to come, feel free," he offered, "I don't mind, and I know Sango won't either. I think Kagome and Inuyasha are coming, too."

"That makes it a double-date, then," Alex reminded him, "I'm _definitely _not tagging along. Isn't Koga going, to make sure Inuyasha stays away from Kagome?"

"No, he's gonna put in some extra Combat training with Sesshomaru," Miroku said, "And practice summoning Cindy – the Earth-based Aeon, remember?"

"Ah," Alex nodded understandingly. The Aeons the students were allowed to handle were temperamental, and not all of the students could handle their Aeons that well. Luckily for Alex, Valeflor responded instantly for her, but Yojimbo was still learning.

"Ixion is still giving me trouble," Miroku lamented, frowning over his Lightening-based Aeon. His girlfriend, Sango, was able to summon Shiva with almost no problems, much to his embarrassment.

"You'll get it," she comforted him, "Yojimbo still won't reply quickly. I got knocked out of a battle waiting for him a few days ago. Maybe you, Koga, and I can train together."

"That'd be great," Miroku nodded, and then glanced at the time. "We better get going, or we'll be late again."

"I don't need anymore late fees," Alex agreed, and the pair ran out of the cafeteria.

* * *

"Cutting it close, aren't we?" Spell-Mistress Lulu asked quietly, raising an eyebrow as they arrived in the training room panting. Their classroom was protected by deflecting barriers, to ward off any miscast spells the students attempted.

"Sorry," Alex said, straightening up.

"We're just about to start today on Third-Level magic," Lulu announced to the class, "As you know, each element has three spell levels, except for Water, which has four, due to…what?"

Looking around, she waited for a student to volunteer the information.

"A duel-elemental property," Alex offered, "Water is also Ice."

"Very good," Lulu nodded, and turned back to the lesson. "Besides the five elements – Fire, Ice and Water, Air, Gravity and Dark, Lightening, and Earth, there are other types of spells. Light is under the Healing class, Support, Defense, Flare, Combat, and Status. Each of you excels in one, or two, types of spells. Pair up with someone with an opposite element or spell immediately."

Proficient in Air and Gravity, two completely-opposite elements, along with some Healing, Alex looked around for a partner. Miroku had paired up with a student that had Water.

"Having trouble finding a partner?" Lulu asked her, and Alex nodded in embarrassment.

"Yes, Spell-Mistress Lulu."

"You've got quite a talent, being able to manipulate spells of such opposite powers," Lulu mused, looking around. "I think you should be paired with someone that has powerful spells, instead of just an opposite element." Pausing, Lulu called over a nineteen year-old student, two years older than Alex. "Sesshomaru Taisho!"

"Yes?" he asked coolly, peering at the two women.

"Alex Cooper will be your partner this exercise," Lulu told him, "Alex, this is Sesshomaru Taisho."

"I know," she nodded, and smiled hesitantly to the older half-brother of Inuyasha. He merely gazed at her, and she couldn't tell whether he was annoyed or just being aloof.

* * *

"All right, everyone have their partners?" Lulu asked. Seeing nods, she cast separate barriers around each team, to prevent unnecessary injuries. Standing in the middle of the room, she nodded. "Cast a Third-Level spell, but _do not_ attack! Let your partner counter with a Third-Level of their own, but again – _do not attack_! Begin!"

"I believe I shall enjoy beating you," Sesshomaru informed Alex, and quickly cast the Third-Level Flare spell, Atom.

"I'm more powerful than you think," she retorted, and blocked Atom with Gravity Crush, nullifying the attack.

"Hm," he murmured. They stopped as Lulu erected more powerful barriers.

"Those of you with two spells – use them now!" she called, "Attempt to bond the two spells into one! _Do not_ aim for your partner! Anyone who does will face immediate expulsion! Begin!"

To Sesshomaru's surprise, Alex was one of the few who began the complicated process. Her right glowed black, with the power of Gravity Crush, while her left had an almost-transparent look to it.

"_Air Cast,"_ he realized, _"How can a mere human possibly control, much less _bond_, two such opposite elements?"_

Alex frowned in concentration, and pushed her hands together. For a moment, a white light began to glow – in the next instant, however, Sesshomaru shielded himself as the barrier broke, and a blast shook throughout the room.

* * *

Uncovering his eyes, he narrowed them when he saw Alex lying on the ground, almost unconscious.

"Alex?" Lulu asked, kneeling by her, "Alex, can you sit up?"

"Ow…" she winced, supported by Lulu and Miroku, "Yeah, I think I can…"

"I shouldn't have asked you to combine them," Lulu said shortly, "It's too dangerous." Turning to the other students, she sighed. "Stop for now. I'll continue explaining the properties of magic to you."

"You all right?" Miroku whispered, helping Alex stand. She nodded, obviously bruised.

"_It's amazing that she survived, much less remained conscious,"_ Sesshomaru thought, covertly observing her as Lulu began to speak again.

"I already explained the levels for Elemental magic. For the others, however, there are many spells on equal levels," she continued, "Healing, for example, has only one attack spell, but it's on the Fifth-Level of magic – White Burst. First-Level has only Cure, while Second-Level and Third-Level is combined with Curaga, Dispel, and Esuna. Fourth-Level is Heal, as you all know."

The students remained silent, memorizing information which could one day save their lives. Looking around, Lulu nodded in approval.

"Some spells – of any category – use more physical energy to cast than lesser levels," she informed them. "For example, Water Sweep both attacks the enemy and cures any status on your members, and is a Third-Level spell. Flarega, on the other hand, is only a Second-Level spell, but uses much more effort, and can only be effective when used by someone of great physical and mental strength. Understand?"

As the nodded, Alex cast a glance at Sesshomaru, remembering how easily he had summoned the Third-Level Flare Spell.

"_He doesn't even seem out of breath,"_ she thought ruefully.

"All of you have the power to access all the categories of magic," Lulu told them, "If you couldn't, you wouldn't be here. Although you may be more proficient in some than others, it's in your best interest to study _all_ spells of all categories. You never know when you may need them. For the remainder of the lesson, choose a partner who specializes in a spell you'd like to learn – preferably a higher-level spell – and vice-versa. Teach each other the properties of the spell, and practice casting them. Once you've found your partners, I'll erect more barriers."

Alex, looking around again in despair as everyone quickly avoided her – not that she could blame them, after what had happened – jumped almost a foot in the air when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sesshomaru?" she asked in surprise, turning around to see him. To her annoyance, she had to tilt her head to see his face, while he was able to look down his nose at her.

"It seems you're able to control very opposite elements, and live," he said calmly, "I would like to learn Gravity Crush. You seem proficient in casting it."

"Well, I'd like to learn Atom," she said, "Or Flarega. Flare is pretty easy for me."

"We have a deal," he nodded. Alex grinned at the aloof student, and ignored the look he gave her.

"I'll start first," she offered, "You know the properties of Gravity, right?"

Sesshomaru nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yes, of course. Gravity is the opposite of Air, and is the combined effort of Earth and Combat spells."

"Yep," she nodded, "When you use Gravity Crush, you merely concentrate on an area you want to disintegrate. Take this chair, for example." Alex dragged over a chair, one of the many consumable props Lulu provided her students with to practice.

"I'm going to focus on that left front leg, all right?" she pointed at her target, and Sesshomaru nodded. He watched her intently as she formed a fist, and opened it slowly. In her palm was a ball of darkness, which was quickly growing. Suddenly, it appeared by the target, and enveloped it.

When Alex closed her hand again, the darkness disappeared, taking the leg with it.

"Impressive," Sesshomaru admitted, against his usual disdain.

"It's actually easy," she told him. "Gravity has the power to teleport from one area to another instantly, like a black hole, kinda. All you do is have a point of formation, and a point of contact. My point is my hand," she said, "Some people's points are their eyes, or nose…usually somewhere in front of them, where they can easily see the spell they're casting."

"Mine is my hands as well," he told her stiffly, and fisted his hand. "I'll disintegrate the other leg," he informed her calmly, and she nodded.

Copying her movements – or rather, using his own similar motions – Sesshomaru managed to form a ball of darkness, but when he teleported it, it appeared in the ground.

"Stop it!" Alex ordered. Breaking concentration, Sesshomaru disengaged the spell before he absorbed the floor.

"That was close," she offered, seeing his sullen look, "It takes a while to get it, if Gravity isn't one of your proficiencies."

"The danger of spell-casting," Lulu was saying to a pair sternly, "Is that you lose concentration of your surroundings in most cases, and your focus turns inward. Always, in anywhere other than in this room, pair with a fighter. Either fight in Combat, cast magic, or combine them, but never work with another student proficient in magic. The risk of both of you casting at the same time is too great."

"Good point," Alex agreed, and turned to Sesshomaru, who still appeared to be pissed off. "My turn to learn now. Which one?"

"Seeing as how you can cast Third-Level spells so easily, I believe we shall attempt Atom," he said smoothly. "Flare spells take an immense amount of physical energy, and can't be used often. But when they do, they're incredibly powerful, making them an essential magic to learn."

Alex nodded, listening to him.

"Flare, unlike Gravity, isn't formed of a combination of spells. Instead, it takes a combination – literally – of physical energy and magical ability. The more you have of either, the more powerful the spell, making Flare a very flexible spell as well."

"And Atom's merely an enlargement of Flare, right?" Alex asked, and Sesshomaru nodded.

"Correct. To form Atom, concentrate on a target. We'll use this chair, again," he told her. "Imagine your focus point wrapping around the target, crushing it. Since Flare uses this technique, only hand-point users get the most out of it," he added, and Alex giggled. "Once you've got that, imagine all the elements at once combining, and forming a giant explosion. If you get it right, the target will be destroyed."

"And if it's wrong?"

"You get blown up," he replied calmly, "Try it. If I do it, we won't have a target."

"All right," Alex glanced at him nervously, and then began the technique he had described. It took a shorter time to focus the energy than it had verbally explaining it – only a matter of seconds – and Alex frowned in concentration.

To both of their surprises, the chair was caught in a flash of red-black light. When it died down, there was nothing left except a blackened mark.

"Impressive," he said again, before he could catch himself. _"I'm surprised she didn't blow herself up along with that blast, though."_ He blinked in surprise when he realized Alex was beaming up at him, pleased with herself.

"Damn," she grinned, "That was pretty good, wasn't it?"

"Don't get cocky," he warned her, "Any Flare level can't be used more than once every half-hour – and the more powerful it was, the longer it takes until it's safe for you to use it again."

"Gotcha," she nodded.

"Very impressive, the both of you," Lulu nodded, "I think perhaps the two of you should be regular partners here. It seems you can teach other a lot of things."

Sesshomaru glared at Lulu, but she ignored him. Alex hesitated, and then nodded.

"Sounds good to me," she agreed, and Sesshomaru was forced to sigh in consent.

* * *

"I can't believe you got along so well with Sesshomaru," Miroku mentioned, as they broke for lunch, "He's usually really aloof."

"What makes you think he was any different with me?" she asked sourly, sitting down, "He looked down his nose at me the entire lesson."

"Hey, guys!" Sango called, sitting down with Kagome. Kissing Miroku on the cheek, she flashed a grin at Alex. "Wakka was a doll – he's a great long-range teacher!"

"Yeah," Kagome agreed, "I'm learning how to fuse my spells into arrows." Kagome excelled in Support and Healing magic, while Sango dealt best in Water, making their respective Aeons Zewek and Shiva.

"Alex was paired with Sesshomaru for Lulu's class," Miroku told them, "She actually upstaged him – cast Atom her first try, but he couldn't manage Gravity Cast."

"It wasn't upstaging!" she protested, as Inuyasha strode up, with Koga close behind.

"Man, the Headmaster's a slave driver!" Inuyasha complained, slumping down, "It's like he was determined to kill us before we got a day off."

"I think he's still pissed that you nailed him yesterday," Koga informed Alex, who flushed.

"Sorry."

"No problems," Koga waved his hand, "Dog-Boy here got the crap beat out of him."

"What were you doing in Leonheart's class, Koga?" Sango asked curiously, "I thought you specialized in hand-to-hand – wouldn't you be in Zell's class?"

"I'm learning physical as well," he shrugged. The Wolf demon excelled in Earth magic, and could summon Cindy in a fight. Inuyasha, proficient in Fire magic, could call Ifrit into a battle easily.

"When I first came, I thought physical meant what hand-to-hand is," Kagome confessed, laughing, "Instead, I find out that it means fighting with a sword, daggers, or any short-range weapon!"

"I guess it's a combination of weapon and physical ability," Miroku shrugged, he and Sango in long-range Combat classes.

"I hope Yuna gives us an outside lesson," Alex said, "I'm dying to ride Valeflor again."

"Yeah, having _any_ physical contact with our Aeons is awesome," Inuyasha agreed, taking a break from eating. Kagome rolled her eyes, but nodded her agreement as well.

"Well, my class is in a few, so I better get running," Alex realized, standing up. "Anyone else have her class now?"

"Um…I don't think so," Kagome shook her head, "Sorry."

"Oh well. I'll see you guys later, then!" Alex waved, running off.

* * *

"Welcome," Summoner Yuna greeted them politely, as her students gathered. "I'm glad you're all on time today."

Alex grinned, knowing that she had never been late to a Summoning class in her entire time at the Garden.

"Today, since it's the day before break – and the last day you'll be allowed to summon your Aeons except in case of emergencies," Yuna reminded them gently, and groans floated in the air. As Alex had hoped, they were outside, nearby the quad. "I'm going to allow you to summon your Aeons, but merely interact with them. There will be no Combat training today – enjoy playing with your Aeon, and strengthen the bond between the two of you. It's absolutely essential."

To Alex's surprise – and annoyance – Sesshomaru was also there, and looking as disdainful as ever. Mentally shrugging, she waited for Yuna to give the signal, wanting to summon Valeflor.

"Going to summon Valeflor?" Yuna asked her gently, and Alex nodded. "I think it would be wiser to work with Yojimbo, Alex."

"I've been Summoning Yojimbo, Summoner Yuna," Alex objected, "Valeflor hasn't been Summoned for weeks."

"Perhaps you can split your lesson today, then," Yuna suggested, and Alex nodded in agreement.

Performing an intricate dance with her hands, Alex waited as the symbol for the Aeon of Air formed around her on the ground, and stepped back as the giant Aeon shot up into the air.

Looking around, she grinned as she watched Miroku try to summon Ixion, and then run as the horse-like Aeon ignored him.

"Valeflor!" she stroked his beak. Gazing into his eyes, Alex sensed his approval, and climbed onto his back. Grabbing hold of his feathers, she shrieked with delight as they flew into the sky, high enough to overlook the entire Garden.

"So, Sesshomaru can summon Bahamut," she thought, watching as the Dog demon climbed onto the huge Aeon's shoulder. Miroku had finally gotten Ixion to stop running, and was now panting against a tree.

"Whoa!" she laughed, as Valeflor suddenly took a dive toward the ground. Yuna watched in approval as her students interacted with their Aeons. Stretching out her hand, Alex was able to touch the grass as Valeflor flew low over the ground, skimming the green blades. Swooping back up, she hugged him tightly, and he made a cooing noise.

* * *

I'm trying...I posted this for opinions. If it's really bad, I'll take it back down and work MORE on it. Please review!


	2. II

Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Aki-Shi-Kitsune's: My only reviewer! Hey, check out "Descendent of Trouble" please! OK - unless I specifically mention it, they're wearing SeeD uniforms, NOT the clothes from the series. I'll describe the clothes at the end for everyone.

Please reveiwif you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism is welcome.

* * *

"You certainly enjoyed Yuna's class," Miroku commented dryly, as they headed back for dinner a few hours later.

"Of course," she nodded, "Yojimbo behaved himself better – he appeared sooner than I expected this time."

"Humph."

"Poor Miroku," Alex laughed, as they entered the cafeteria, "Ixion looked like he wasn't acting up as much, though. You've got remember – they're not pets, they're partners."

"I'm just not that cut out for Summoning," he said glumly, "But like Yuna said – we're capable of Summoning every Aeon that exists. Just some of us have more potential than others."

"And that's why some people can summon more than one Aeon, while others can barely handle one," she finished. Looking around, they grabbed an empty table and waited for their friends to arrive.

* * *

"Hey, all!" Shippo grinned, sliding into a seat. The Fox demon excelled in Communication techniques, Status magic, and defense Combat – which was primarily casting support magic or offering back-up.

"Where's everyone else?" Alex asked, as their trays arrived.

"Sango and Inuyasha have another class left, and Kagome's taking a shower before dinner," Shippo told them, "I dunno where Koga is, though."

"Probably because he's right there," Miroku pointed out, as the nineteen year-old smirked at them good-naturedly and sat down. Older by a year than Miroku, Koga was four years older than Shippo. Sango, Alex, and Inuyasha were seventeen, with Kagome a year younger.

"How'd classes go?" Shippo asked the Wolf, who shrugged as he began to eat.

"Not bad," he mumbled through food, "I could've done better with Lulu, though. But I prefer regular Combat to magic, anyways."

"I think I'm more suited for magic and Summoning," Alex thought, "I'm decent at Combat, but I don't like it as much."

"I'm spending tomorrow getting in some extra practice time with Sesshomaru," Koga told her.

"Yeah, Miroku told me earlier," she nodded.

"You can come, if ya want. Maybe you can help me practice Summoning Cindy, and I can help you practice Combat," he offered, and she paused.

"Sure," Alex agreed, "I could use some help – and so could you, Koga, so don't get all high-and-mighty on us."

He shrugged casually, and continued to eat.

"Shippo, want to come with us to the Calm Lands district?" Miroku asked, "We're using Chocobos. Or do you need practice Summoning Anima as well?"

"Nah, I'm fine," he shook his head, "I've got an extra group session with Headmistress Leonheart with a few other people tomorrow, to polish up our Communication stuff."

"Rinoa's pretty nice," Alex nodded, "Tough, but fair." As she yawned, she leaned back – and almost fell over, if she hadn't had leaned into someone's leg.

Craning her neck, she flushed when she realized the leg belonged to Sesshomaru, and sat up straight with a 'thump'.

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped bumping into me," he said coolly, and continued walking.

"Asshole," Koga muttered, and Alex shrugged.

"Well, I _did_ knock into him," she grinned, and then yawned again. "Damn, I'm beat. All that magic-casting really knocked me through a loop. I'll catch you tomorrow morning, 'kay, Koga?"

"Ten, in the Combat practice arena," he nodded in agreement, as she stood up.

"Night, Miroku – Shippo," she said, giving them each a peck on the cheek. Miroku she viewed as a good friend, and Shippo as a younger sibling. Koga, however, she wasn't sure how she felt about him yet.

"Get some sleep!" Shippo called, and she waved in acknowledgement as she strode to her dorm.

* * *

"Mm…" Alex rolled over, and glanced at her clock as she heard someone moving around. "Sango? What time is it…? I can't read when I'm still asleep."

"Oh, Alex!" Sango stage-whispered, trying to keep from grinning, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you!"

"Bullshit," Alex muttered, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Glaring at her friend, she waited until her eyes adjusted to the near-darkness before she tried reading her clock again. "It's not even six in the morning!" she hissed, "I can see when we've got a class – but it's break!"

"We wanted to get to the Calm Lands early to get a full day in," Sango continued to whisper, as Alex stretched her tanned limbs. "I really didn't mean to wake you up, though. I guess I was too excited to be real quiet."

"I can't go back to sleep," Alex mumbled grumpily, "Even though I could've gotten more'n three hours in. Oh well…"

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Sango asked again, but Alex shook her head, her hair mussed.

"No, I'm going to help Koga Summoning later," she answered, "And then he's going to help me in Combat. I've got plenty to keep busy with, believe me."

"We'll, I'll be going, then," Sango said, slinging a bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you at dinner, okay?"

"Sure thing," Alex nodded. Wincing as Sango flicked the light on before she left, Alex stumbled to their bathroom, and prepared for a steaming shower.

* * *

After drying her hair, Alex looped it up in a small braid, and dressed in black boots, navy-blue boot-cut jeans, and adark-crimson T-shirt over ayellow turtleneck, due to the chilly weather. Grabbing her daggers, she headed toward the cafeteria for an early breakfast before she went to the library.

"I was under the impression that young women slept until the last possible moment," Sesshomaru commented, slightly amused, as Alex dozed over her food.

Snapping awake, she shot a glare at him as he sat down across from her, before she yawned again.

"That's what I was going to do, except my friend woke me up," she admitted, closing her mouth again.

"I thought so," he nodded, and began to eat. Alex took a few bites, glancing at the demon suspiciously every few minutes, until he sighed.

"Why do you keep staring at me?"

"I'm not staring!" she retorted, "I'm just trying to figure out why you're sitting here. I was under the impression that you couldn't stand me."

"Koga informed me last night that you were joining our training session," he revealed, "And I saw how you interacted with your Aeons – especially Valeflor – yesterday. I was actually impressed."

"I'm so honored," she muttered, still looking at him skeptically. "So, why're you here?"

"Koga is still asleep," he told her, "I was wondering – would you like some one-on-one training before he arrives? We have almost three hours. It's not even seven."

"I know what time it is," she snapped, and then shrugged. "Sorry, I'm cranky when I'm tired. But sure, why not?"

"I won't go easy on you," he warned her, as they dropped their trays off.

"I hope not," Alex retorted, "I don't need someone taking pity on me."

* * *

"Push-ups?" she asked, surprised, as they got to the gym. They had both changed their outfits to training uniforms – snug black pants under high-cut boots and a snug shirt, giving the fighters every possible freedom of movement.

"I always exercise before I train," Sesshomaru told her, "It loosens the muscles up, so you don't harm yourself."

"Fine," Alex huffed. She dropped to the ground as he did the same, and they began their routine.

"I'm not surprised you're cheating," Sesshomaru said mildly, a few minutes later, one hand behind his back.

"What're you talking about now?" she grumbled, both hands on the ground.

"Using both hands. It would figure that a woman would use them both."

"Oh, yeah?" she snapped, and switched one hand behind her back as well, "I don't see a lot of men supporting C's as well!"

Sesshomaru ignored her statement as they continued in silence. Using only one hand was harder on Alex, but she was determined to prove her arrogant partner wrong.

* * *

After almost thirty minutes, Sesshomaru abruptly stopping, sensing that Alex was giving out.

"Finally…" she panted, but ignored his glance. "Training now?"

"If you're ready," he agreed, unsheathing his sword. Seeing Alex glance at the blazing-white blade, engraved with a symbol, he smiled slightly. "It's name is Rozen."

"Famous warrior?" she asked.

"It was my father's," Sesshomaru said shortly, "Inuyasha's is Parsifal – fire warrior, for his magic and Aeon."

"Good names," she nodded, and patted her two blades. "This one is Toshiro – talented," she added, pulling out a long curved blade that glowed with a pale-green light. Unsheathing the second one, that was exactly the same except that it shone a pale-gold, she grinned. "And this is Ezri – helper."

"Interesting choice of names," Sesshomaru commented, and she eyed him.

"So's yours," she pointed out.

"Point taken," he inclined his head. Looking at her, he paused. "Those don't appear to be normal daggers. They don't appear to be daggers at all – they're longer than their sheaths."

"You're the first to notice," Alex nodded, "They and their sheaths are magically enhanced." She pointed the blades at him, and he noticed that her weapons were also engraved with odd symbols. "They're actually closer to scimitars, but much lighter. Using the deception, and making it appear like I have extremely short-range weapons, gives me the advantage in battle."

"You shouldn't have told me," he said calmly.

"If I was trying to kill you, I wouldn't," she shrugged, "But how can you help me properly if you don't know what weapons I wield?"

"You appear to think much more than the average human woman," Sesshomaru said, and she wasn't sure if it was a compliment to her, or an insult for her race. She settled on both. "However, that doesn't mean you think all that much."

"Asshole," she muttered, shifting into a battle stance.

"Barriers have been erected around the room, so we can use magic and Combat without having to worry about repercussions," Sesshomaru told her. Alex grinned slightly, but didn't allow herself to be sidetracked.

Nodding approvingly at her concentration, Sesshomaru also readied for battle. Within a few seconds, Alex shot off a blinding flash of light, temporarily stunning him into blindness. Using his other senses, however, he managed to avoid her attack, and she flew by him.

"You move very fast," he said, and she nodded. Without another word, he lunged at her, and she blocked Rozen with both of her weapons. Using Aeroga, Alex jumped high into the air, and forced Sesshomaru back.

Sesshomaru eyed her as she levitated in the air, and then rolled aside as she shot toward him. To his chagrin, he noticed her spell had nicked his shoulder.

Alex surveyed her opponent, knowing that the great Sesshomaru was capable of more – much more than this. Bracing herself for defense, she prepared another White Burst attack if he lunged.

Sesshomaru paused in his attack, and realized that she was waiting for him to attack.

"_Two can play at that game,"_ he thought wryly, _"Let's see how much patience this human has – and how soon she can use it up."

* * *

_

Alex furrowed her brow several minutes later, realizing his scheme. Relaxing her muscles, she turned her concentration inward, sharpening her sense and relaxing her body at the same time. This technique gave her instant reactions, often blind attacks.

Sesshomaru observed her, and growled softly when he saw that she had no intention of breaking their wait. He suddenly feinted, and Alex jumped backward, unfooled.

Keeping her mind in the same state, she dodged several more blows, ignoring a sudden pain in her side. Casting Gravity Cast, she used Aeroga the next instant, flying up as a well of darkness surrounded Sesshomaru.

He nulled the effect with Dispel, and she was hardly surprised. No matter what their strengths or weaknesses, all students were required to study Healing and Support magic.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Koga demanded. Glancing at the clock, they realized that their match had gone on longer than they had realized.

"Sesshomaru was teaching me some moves," Alex replied smoothly, sheathing Toshiro and Ezri quickly.

"You're bleeding!" Koga glared at Sesshomaru, who met his gaze unflinchingly. Alex looked down, and realized that Rozen had left a rather-large gash in her side. Glancing at the two men, she sighed.

"I'll go fix it and shower," she told them, beginning to walk out of the arena, "I guess you guys can pound on each other while I'm gone."

"I also need to shower," Sesshomaru broke in, not mentioning that his shoulder was caked in blood.

"I guess I can work alone for a while," Koga sighed, and glanced toward Alex. "Hurry up though, all right?"

"Sure," she grinned back, and rushed into the women's locker room. Sesshomaru strode into the other lockers, and Koga sighed again.

* * *

"Ah…" Alex sighed in relief as the water ran off her, cleaning the blood off her wound. Concentrating on the gash, she placed her hand over it, and a white light flashed in her palm. Moving her hand away, nothing remained except a long scar.

"It figures he'd scar me," she muttered, and then froze when she heard the alarm going off through the Garden.

"Damn it!" she swore a frenzy as she rushed to dress in the nearest things, which were her earlier street clothes, and rushed out into the arena. Sesshomaru had beaten her there, and he glared at her as she ran into him.

"Took you long enough," he remarked, and she shot him a dirty look.

"Someone's attacking the Garden!" Koga told her, "I wasn't going to leave you behind, though."

"Thanks," she nodded, and the trio rushed into the main halls. To their shock, fiends were scattered throughout, and several students already lay dead or dying.

"What is this?" Sesshomaru demanded to a passing student, but she ran by without pausing.

"Come on," Koga grabbed Alex's hand, and pulled her towards the main hall. A huge fiend, resembling a plant, blocked their way.

"Great," Alex muttered, and cast Air Cast the creature. To her surprise, it hardly seemed affected.

"Let me try," Koga grunted, as Sesshomaru unsheathed Rozen. Casting a Third-Level Earth spell called Contained Mountain, the wolf watched in satisfaction as the monster was crushed by a summoned avalanche of boulders.

"I knew you were good in Earth for a reason," Alex joked, sprinting ahead. They reached the outside of the Garden, but the situation was even worse. Soldiers dressed in black and crimson attire fought the SeeDs and other students, methodically slaughtering them.

"Something tells me we're in trouble," Koga muttered, as they ducked behind a statue. "Who are these guys?"

"Easily-disposed of," Sesshomaru growled, and the next moment Atom appeared, sucking in almost all of the soldiers.

"We've got to get down to the Calm Lands!" Alex protested, as the other two headed toward the hangers.

"No time," Sesshomaru said shortly, "We'll get them later. Right now we have to get out of here, while we're still alive to."

"He's right," Koga admitted, "Being dead isn't gonna help anyone, Alex. Come on, before more soldiers arrive."

Nodding, she rushed after them, and they quickly hijacked one of the Garden's smaller airships. Taking one last look at their Garden, the place where they had spent the majority of their lives and which was now going up in flames, the group shot off into the clouds, and was relieved when no one followed.

* * *

Yes, some of the magic and spell classes I made up myself, thanks. Now, for the clothing:

Male SeeDs: black-blue pants over black boots, a black-blue jacket over a white shirt, a black belt, and gold trim.  
Female SeeDs: black-blue skirt (in this story, whatever length, not miniskirts like in the game), black boots, black-blue jacket over a white shirt, a black belt, and gold trim.

That's the basic. I think if you Google/image SeeD uniforms you could find pictures. Better now, Kitsune's? If anyone wants me to explain the spells and classes, I'll list them next chapter.


	3. III

Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I'm glad people are liking this story. For this one, I'm going to have Alex and Sesshomaru hate each other in the beginning - I've never really done that. And I may be edging toward KogaXAlex instead, so let me know which pairing you'd like to see! And just to clarify some things, I HAVE combined areas of Spira and FFVIII together. I've always thought they have anyway - I mean, it's always FF, right? I kinda think that maybe Spira is on one side of the world, and the others are in other parts...but I'm babbling.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome. No flames.

* * *

"What's going on?" Koga demanded, as they flew towards the Calm Lands main area. "Why'd someone attack the Garden?"

"What happened to all the teachers?" Sesshomaru added broodingly, as Alex remained silent. "And why did they feel the need to slaughter everyone?"

"We're coming into the Calm La-oh, shit," Koga whistled, as the town came into view. The same soldiers had already arrived, and the town was also in flames.

"What about all the others?" Alex suddenly asked, panic edging her voice. Koga was concentrating on flying the ship away before they were located, so Sesshomaru grabbed her by the shoulders firmly.

"If they're worth their training, they escaped," he said, and Koga blinked at overhearing the reassurance coming from the demon. "Calm down, or I'll throw you out the ship, understand?"

Alex gulped air, trying to keep from hyperventilating, and nodded. She sat down, and rested her head in hands.

"What now?" she asked, "Where do we go now?"

"I don't know," Koga replied grimly, exchanging glances with Sesshomaru.

* * *

"This is crazy!" Sango swore, as the four raced down the plains on their Chocobos. "What's going on?"

"Those soldiers came out of nowhere," Miroku added thoughtfully, and glanced back. Sango had summoned Shiva, and the ice-goddess was blocking the soldier's path, preventing them from chasing after the teens.

"The Garden!" Kagome gasped, and they stopped in their tracks. "Everyone's still in there!"

"Shippo!" Inuyasha called, seeing the orange-haired boy rushing across the grounds, using his Fox speed to avoid being called. "Over here!"

"Inuyasha!" he yelled, barreling towards them. Skidding to a stop, he panted heavily.

"Shippo, what's going on?" Miroku demanded, "Who are these men?"

"Soldiers, but I don't know from where," he told them, "They killing everyone! I saw an airship fly off a few moments ago, but I don't know who was in it."

"And the teachers?" Kagome interrupted. Shippo's eyes welled with tears.

"Dead!" he wailed, "They were the first to fight, and someone appeared, and disintegrated them!"

"Are you sure?" Sango asked sharply, "Could it have been a teleportation spell instead?"

"I…I don't know," he sniffled, regaining his composure.

"What did this person look like?" Inuyasha asked impatiently, and Shippo scrunched his nose in thought.

"I'm not…"

"Heads up!" Miroku called, and they ducked. A fire ball flew past, and they realized that the soldiers were advancing toward them.

"Summon the Aeons!" Kagome ordered, "We'll have to ride them to safety – we don't have any other options!"

"All right," Inuyasha nodded. Within instants, the Aeons Shiva, Anima, Ifrit, Ixion, and Zewek had appeared, and were soon thundering across the plains.

* * *

"We can't go around wearing these," Koga mentioned finally, glancing down at his and Sesshomaru's uniforms. "We'll be picked off right away. Alex, is there anything in the ship?"

"No, just more uniforms," she shook her head, "And those are too small for you guys anyway."

"We'll have to buy clothes," Sesshomaru decided, and looked at Alex. "You're the only one with street clothes, so you'll have to do it."

"Sure," she nodded. The female had regained control of herself within moments, and now that they were over the ocean, had fallen silent. "I'd need sizes, but I can manage. I shopped for my dad and brother all the time before I came to the Garden."

"Good," Koga agreed, and glanced down at their radar. "We're coming up to Timber. Think that's far enough away, Taisho?"

"We'll have to hope so," he said. "We need supplies as well as fuel and clothing. Clothes first," he added to Alex, "And then all of us will go out. We'll have to split up, though. They may be looking for our airship."

"That's another problem," Alex pointed out, "Any sane person is going to recognize this thing. We need to either ditch it, or get a paint job."

"I know just the guy," Koga grinned, "And it just so happens he lives in Timber, too. He'll fix us up – we can trust him, believe him."

"That's good," Alex sighed, "It'd be hard finding another airship, especially without being able to show our licenses or credentials."

"Speaking of which," Sesshomaru continued, "We'll hide them somewhere on the ship, so no one will be able to find it. We have money, right?"

"Yes," Alex nodded, "Koga and I both carried it."

"I have some as well," Sesshomaru conceded, "Koga, how much will we have to pay this man?"

"Not a thing," Koga responded, "He'll fix us up with fuel, and some supplies too."

"So just clothes and food," Sesshomaru muttered, and handed his money over to Alex. "Here. I'm sure we have enough – we're not shopping for anything good, just street clothes."

"I know," she said, a bit annoyed at his tone. "You don't have to tell me."

Koga, hearing them begin to argue again, grinned to himself.

"_Of all the people in the Garden, it must be fate I was stuck with those two,"_ he thought, and shook his head in disbelief.

* * *

"_Of all the people in the Garden, I'm stuck with _him_!"_ Alex thought to herself, making her way down the busy streets of Timber. She wasn't attracting any attention, which she was grateful for. Looking around, she didn't see any of the crimson-and-black clad soldiers, and managed to find a rather-inexpensive clothing store.

"I didn't think pretty young women like yourself wore men's clothes," the elderly clerk winked good-naturedly at her as Alex paid for the pile of cloth, and she grinned back.

"They're for my brothers – well, _most_ of it," she amended, as the clerk noticed several woman articles.

"I see," he nodded, and proceeded to ring her up without another word. Once she paid the bill – which left her more than half of the money, she noticed with satisfaction – he followed her to the door.

"Thank you for coming – and enjoy your stay here," he added, and Alex nodded before she left.

* * *

"_Ha! More than half the money left – that'll teach Sesshomaru,"_ she thought to herself, quickly going back to the airship using a different route, to throw off any possible followers.

* * *

"Thanks, Alex," Koga grinned at her, dressed in dark-gray pants, black boots and a belt, and a fitted tan short-sleeved shirt.

"I'm glad they fit," she said, having changed into a sheer, light-teal T-shirt over a snug white tank-top, due to the warmer weather in Timber.

"Not bad," Sesshomaru forced out, taking back the extra money from her. He wore black boots, light-blue jeans, and a snug black T-shirt. Alex had stashed her former shirts with their identification and other important papers, just in case she needed them.

She looked smugly at him, and he promptly ignored her again. Both young men attempted to ignore the new curves that Alex's clothes suddenly revealed, and got back to business.

"I'll go talk to Cid about the airship and fuel," Koga began, "He can help us out with a few supplies as well. You two should probably go get the rest of the stuff."

"I thought we were going to split up," Alex protested, and Koga looked at her innocently.

"I know, but with the amount of supplies we need, more than one person is gonna have to be there to carry 'em," he pointed out. Alex slumped her shoulders in defeat, and Sesshomaru muttered something under his breath. Alex couldn't hear it, but Koga's demon hearing picked it up with no problem.

In a flash, Koga had grabbed the taller demon by the neck and growled at him.

"One more remark like that, and I'll rip your eyes out," he snarled. Alex blinked in surprise, and then stepped back as Sesshomaru threw Koga off him. Getting the distinct feeling she was the reason they were standing in a face-off, she stepped in-between them.

"Cut it out," she ordered, 'We have to work together if we're going to survive, right? So stop trying to kill him, Koga. And you could treat me with a little more respect, Sesshomaru."

The dog demon pointedly ignored her, but Koga nodded, relaxing his stance.

"All right, you've got a point," he agreed, and then glared at Sesshomaru. "So, are we gonna do this, or not?"

"Fine," he nodded slightly, and began to stride out of the airship. Casting an exasperated glance at Koga, Alex ran after him.

* * *

"Did you see any stores while you were in town?" Sesshomaru asked shortly, as they walked toward the buildings.

"A few. I think we should shop at several different ones," she suggested, "If we buy a whole load at just one, that might raise suspicions. I didn't talk to anyone here, but I'm sure they've heard about the attack on the Garden by now."

"All right," he agreed, much to her surprise. Casting a suspicious glance at the demon, she hurried to keep up with his long stride, even though her legs were long as well. Sesshomaru, as they reached the town, suddenly slowed down enough that she didn't have to rush.

Alex followed him into the first store, where they managed to get some supplies at a decent price.

* * *

"You shouldn't threaten them like that," she told him after the third shop.

"It got us some discounts, didn't it?" he retorted, as they strode back towards the airship. Alex paused, unable to refute this logic, and then stopped as it came into view.

"Hey, wait," she grabbed his arm, and he turned to look back at her in annoyance.

"What?"

"Someone's by the ship," she told him, becoming aggravated with the arrogant demon, "You should be able to smell him, at least, with your great demon powers."

Sesshomaru ignored her, realizing that there was indeed a stranger lurking around their ship.

"Stay here," he ordered, and sped off faster than she could see.

"Not fair," she snorted, but remained standing at the spot.

* * *

"Don't kill me!" the orange-haired man cried, diving to the ground as Sesshomaru appeared.

"Who are you?" the demon demanded, and then looked up as Koga emerged from the airship. Seeing the wolf demon, Alex picked up their things and began to trudge toward them.

"Chill, Taisho," he said calmly, "This guy's Cid, the one I was telling you about."

"Really," Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow at the human, who had regained his footing.

"Yes," Cid said haughtily, and then caught sight of Alex, who was coming toward them slowly, panting from all the weight. "And this young woman is…?"

"Keep away from her or I'll castrate you," Koga growled, going forward to help Alex with her burdens. Sesshomaru remained silent, but inwardly was glad that the wolf had put the human in his place.

"Th-thanks," she took a deep breath, and then shot a dirty look at Sesshomaru. "Thanks for nothing."

Sesshomaru merely ignored her, and looked away. Alex looked on the point of telling the demon exactly what she thought before Koga put his hand on her arm, and she exchanged a glance with him.

Sighing, she picked up several things and headed into the airship without another word.

"Well, you were right, Koga – it's gonna be more than a paint job to disguise this baby," Cid told him, once Alex had disappeared into the ship. Sesshomaru noticed with disapproval that the man's eyes had followed Alex's body until she had gone from view, but was unable to pinpoint the reason he was mad.

"I thought so," Koga groaned, "How long for a complete overhaul, then?"

"Well, this thing is custom-built to Garden regulations," Cid thought, "I'm not sure I _can_ do a complete overhaul, to be honest. If I did, it'd take a few months, at least. I think the best thing is for you guys to exchange ships, and then I can crash this one out in the mountains to make it look as if you're taken care of."

"Interesting idea, human," Sesshomaru mused, and exchanged a glance with Koga.

"I think we'll have to do it," Koga sighed, and cast a fond glance towards the airship. "Too bad – I was hoping to at least keep one thing from the Garden, but…"

"Hey, you've got Taisho and me," Alex joked, reappearing. Sesshomaru blinked at her usage of his last name, but decided to continue to ignore her. "And we're from the Garden, right?" she continued, and Koga nodded in agreement. Cid rubbed his hands together, apparently anticipating the crash the huge ship would make.

"All right, then. If you get your stuff and meet me at the hanger, I think I've got just the thing for you kids," Cid told them, and Alex frowned.

"How're we supposed to get all our supplies from the ship to your hanger?" she demanded, "Yeah, we've got two demons, but it's too much, and too noticible."

"Good point," Koga agreed, and turned back to Cid.

"I'll send you an auto-carrier later today, then," he agreed, climbing back into his one-seater. "It'll be big enough, don't worry. Just sit tight."

"You better hurry, Cid," Koga threatened, "We hardly have time to waste."

Cid merely grinned at them, and disappeared in a cloud of dust.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Alex asked doubtfully, unknowingly giving voice to Sesshomaru's own concerns.

"No doubt," Koga nodded, "We better get packing – it'll be here soon, you can be sure."

* * *

"Where is he?" Alex demanded, as the sun began to set, "I thought you said he'd be here, Koga."

"He will," the wolf replied defensively. The three SeeDs sat with several crates stuffed full of supplies, and were waiting several yards away from the ship.

"It appears that he was merely wait," Sesshomaru commented, as an auto-piloted transport shot up.

"Finally," Koga huffed, as they began to load their crates on. Once everything was on, Koga lifted Alex up, and she jumped up onto the top of the stack. Sesshomaru and Koga squeezed in the front, and Alex grabbed on the sidebars as the machine suddenly shot forward at a ridiculous speed.

* * *

"Toldja it'd be big enough," Cid said gruffly, his bright-blue eyes hidden beneath a flame-protected mask, "I was just making a few adjustments to the ship I picked out for ya."

"Where is it?" Koga asked, looking around curiously with Alex.

"Over here," Cid called, striding to a back room, "I moved it out of harm's way, and so it won't attract attention."

"Amazing," Alex breathed, as the three surveyed their new means of transportation. Just big enough to carry a crew of five, it had a cargo hold, one cabin, a kitchen and eating area, and of course, the bridge – which was the largest and main room.

"Kinda flashy, don't you think?" Koga looked at it doubtfully. The body was a deep red, with the hull a magnificent silver-and-gold, with matching finishes on the rest of the body. Several bright turquoise streamers floated behind it, attached firmly to the engine.

"Believe it or not, you'll fit right in," Cid told them firmly, as they inspected it. "This baby is brand-new, and I just finished the adjustments, like I said. She'll do thirty for every MAPH - Miles Achieved Per Altitude - and is resistant to almost every kind of magic available."

"Fuel?" Sesshomaru asked shortly.

"Full tank, and plenty on board enough to get you around Spira three times without stopping," Cid said proudly, and Koga nodded in approval. "I put some supplies for ya on board, and it looks like my bot just finished loading the rest of your stuff," he continued, and glanced at the mechanized mechanic .

"Thanks, Cid," Koga shook his head, as they began to board.

"Aren't ya gonna spend the night, at least?" Cid asked, but Koga shook his head.

"Nope – we've got to get moving to find our friends, for thing," he told the older man, "But we'll let you know how it's going, okay? And if we need anything, we'll stop in, no prob."

"Good," Cid nodded sternly, and opened the hanger's roof as the airship slowly began to start up and ascend toward the sky.

* * *

"It's so…small," Alex said finally, after they were well-hidden in the clouds.

"We didn't need a big ship," Sesshomaru told her shortly, and she glared at him.

"I wasn't complaining, idiot," she shot back, and Koga covered his eyes with a hand. "I was just saying it's different," she finished, still meeting the now-angry glare of the demon, even though he was making her more and more nervous.

"If you ever call me anything like that again," Sesshomaru growled, suddenly grasping the front of her shirt and lifting her into the air, "SeeD or not, I will rip your throat out and feed you to the carrion birds."

"Put her down, Taisho!" Koga said sharply, and winced slightly when Alex was dropped from her height onto the floor, landing on her behind.

"You…you…" she failed to think of a fitting insult, and stalked from the bridge with a shattered dignity.

"Taisho, cut it out," Koga told him quietly, "You better not harm her. For one thing, we need every fighter we've got, even if you don't think she's worth much. And for another, I'll personally feed you to my fellow wolves if you do anything to her."

Sesshomaru locked stares with the wolf for several long minutes, neither willing to back down. Finally, Koga dropped the gaze to concentrate on steering, not much caring who won it in the first place.

* * *

Rina Ninomori: If you like this, I suggest you try Striking Falcon's "Cross of Blades" if you haven't already. It was the inspiration for my story!  
Aki-Shi-Kitsune's: Sorry it took so long. Glad you like this, and I'll try to hurry faster, for you.


	4. IV

Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I'm so sorry for not having updated for so long, so as a special treat this chapter is really long! A special thanks to all who read and reviewed the story, and I hope this was worth the wait for my brain to function properly. I'm still deciding between Koga or Sesshomaru, so let me know what you think! I also apologize for any typing or spelling mistakes - I use spellcheck and reread this three times, but I still may have missed something. Also, it's REALLY HARD to create a picture of the airship and things like that! So use your imagination.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"What now?" Kagome wondered, as the group rested, in the safety of Mt. Gagazet and its dangerous cliffs. They had found a cave, and decided to use it for temporary shelter.

"I don't know," Inuyasha admitted, and Shippo couldn't help snorting.

"Like any of us expected you to be the brains of this, anyway."

"Why you little…"

"Shippo, apologize," Kagome ordered, and then stopped Inuyasha from using the fox's head as a battering ram against the cave wall.

"None of us have our communicators, do we?" Miroku wondered, and they shook their heads regretfully. "I suppose we could try to contact one of the other Gardens, but I'm not sure how," he thought, and Sango frowned in concentration.

"I wonder if we could somehow use our aeons?" she sighed, and then blinked. "Wait – didn't Summoner Yuna mention something about the ruins of Zanarkand?"

"Yeah, why?" Inuyasha grumbled, and Kagome elbowed him.

"They were trying to rebuild it, weren't they?" Sango continued, her excitement growing, "There's probably workers there now! If we can mange to get there, we can use their communication system to contact someone."

"What if they're under the enemy – whoever they are?" Inuyasha objected.

"It sounds like the only plan we've got now," Miroku said calmly, and looked at Kagome. "What do you think?"

"It's worth a try," she agreed, and Shippo nodded. "If anything goes wrong, we can just bail," she added, "I say we try it."

* * *

"Alex?" Koga called softly, activating the mechanized sliding door to the cabin. He found her fully clothed and asleep on one of the three beds.

"Must've been wiped out from everything," Koga said to himself, backing out of the dark room. "None of us have slept in days, after all," he added ruefully, thankful demons hardly needed sleep for long periods of time before returning the bridge. He had left it on auto-pilot, since they had decided to remain near the peaks of Gagazet for cover until they decided their next move.

"She's asleep," Koga told Sesshomaru, who merely raised an eyebrow.

"Humans lack the stamina demons have," he commented, and Koga couldn't help but agree.

"Well, I'd rather she fall asleep when we don't need her, than pass out at a critical time," Koga said finally, giving Sesshomaru a glance. The Dog demon merely gazed out the window at the clouds.

"She can't protect herself," Sesshomaru said suddenly. Koga jumped at the abrupt break of silence, and sat back down with a thud.

"What do you mean, Taisho?" he demanded, "Alex isn't weak."

"Neither were our teachers, and where did they all go so suddenly?" Sesshomaru reminded him, "Either they're dead or gone – either way, they were strong as well, strong enough to teach demons how to fight. But that didn't save them, did it?"

"What are you getting at?" Koga asked suspiciously.

"Whatever happens, one of us must protect her at all times, because of this new threat," Sesshomaru said firmly.

"Why do you care?" Koga asked gruffly, "I thought you hated all humans, especially her."

"It's as you said – we need all the fighters we can get at this point," Sesshomaru replied calmly, "No one is expendable. But with her human stamina, I fear she won't be as strong in the upcoming conflict as we may like."

Koga nodded unwillingly, seeing the other demon's point, but unsure as to why Sesshomaru even cared. The Dog demon, for his part, wasn't sure either, and it was beginning to piss him off more than usual. He liked having control over every emotion, and whatever this girl was doing to him, he didn't like it one bit.

* * *

"Still in Gagazet?" she noticed, waking up from a dead sleep several hours later. Coming onto the bridge, she stood for a few moments on the small walkway that hung over part of the lower level before sliding down the stairs to stand next to Koga.

"Well, we weren't going to make any decisions without you," the Wolf pointed out, and she shrugged.

"I wouldn't really care."

"I'll remember that next time," Sesshomaru told her calmly, from his seat on the upper level by the window. "I turned the engines off to save fuel for a while."

"Good," Koga nodded, and sighed. "I tried using low-sensory radar – to avoid getting detected ourselves – but I didn't pick anything up on it."

"Hm…" Alex tapped her foot thoughtfully, gazing out at the floating peaks before snapping her fingers. "Weren't the Gardens doing reconstruction on the ruins of Zanarkand?"

"Yeah…"

"And that would probably include the Floating Peaks above us," she continued, lost in thought and totally ignoring the two demons. "I wonder…the Gardens are in charge of the operation, so are they still safe? They're so isolated here, it's hard to tell…"

"I think we should check it out," Koga interrupted her, causing her to start at being jerked back to reality. "The Zanarkand Ruins are good, but we're so close to the Peaks we should at least give it a shot. This ship is fast as hell, according to Cid, so if something happens we can juice her up and shoot out fast."

"Interesting idea," Sesshomaru mused, much to the other two's surprise. "It might be worth a shot. Kami knows I'm certainly tired of waiting for them to find us."

"So, it's a done deal then?" Alex asked cheerfully, more than ready for some action – and revenge. Koga cracked his knuckles in response, and she grinned. Sesshomaru's expression remained stoic, but his grip tightened slightly on Rozan's sheath.

* * *

"Well, you were right about the workers," Inuyasha commented, as the small group approached the edge of the cliff that overlooked the path to the Ruins and Dome. Navy-clad workers worked with both machina and their hands in the area, and most paid little or no attention as the group descended toward them.

"Something's up," Miroku murmured suddenly, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked, reaching over her shoulder to grasp the tall magical blade strapped to her back, which was shaped like a crescent moon and had a steel part in the middle for her to grasp in battle.

"Notice some of the workers?" Miroku pointed out quietly. "They're carrying tasers, unlike most of the workers. And they're eyeing us."

"So, they're enemies?" Inuyasha guessed, and cracked his knuckles. "Oh boy."

"Inuyasha, stop," Kagome hushed him, edging closer to her boyfriend.

"So, what do you think we should do?" Shippo asked, preparing to put up a shield if necessary.

"Let's just act like we don't notice anything," Miroku suggested, ignoring Inuyasha's derisive snort. "It's our best bet at this point." The others nodded in reluctant agreement, and the knot of teenagers made their way closer to the Dome of Zanarkand. When they reached the archway to pass to the final area, they were stopped by several workers, all who had black-and-crimson insignia on their shoulders.

"Hold it," one of them ordered, and Miroku fingered his staff lightly. "We require identification to authorize entry to this area. It's restricted."

"We were hoping to see the Garden Master in charge of the project," Miroku replied genially. "We're students from the Calm Lands Garden. Surely you've heard the news?"

"Yeah," another grunted, and they pointed their tasers at the group. "Orders are to bring you back alive to the Master."

"Hey, hold on!" Kagome began, but squeaked when one of the tasers burst with electricity.

"Fuck off," Inuyasha ordered, unsheathing his dark-orange blade and gripping the hilt, as Shippo tried to erect a barrier.

"They've got something that blocks magic!" the Fox squealed, and Kagome groaned when she realized it as well.

"I can't summon Shiva!" Sango gasped, and hauled her blade in front of her as if it was the lightest feather in the world. "You bastards aren't getting away with what you did at our Garden. We'll make you pay."

"I must agree with her on this matter," Miroku nodded, and suddenly thrust his weapon into the leader's abdomen sharply. The man grunted, spitting up blood before slumping to the ground.

"Get them!" another worker cried, as the group tried to escape. Without their shields, they were practically defenseless except for their own weapon skills. Shippo dodged attacks and stole a taser from one of the men, while Kagome used her arrows as spears, not having enough range to use her bow. Sango cut through the attackers easily, and Miroku backed her up. Inuyasha defended their other flank, cutting a path back to the mountains.

"It's no use!" Miroku warned, slamming another man to the dirt. "There're too many of them!"

"I won't – give up!" Sango grunted, and was thrown back by a taser blast that made it's way past her blade.

"Stupid kids," a man chuckled, as they were surrounded. "Just give up, and we won't have to hurt you any more than necessary. The Master wants you alive and unharmed for the most part, after all."

"Yeah, right," Inuyasha snorted, but Miroku suddenly stopped him.

"All right, we surrender," the young man said calmly, lowering his staff to the ground. Inuyasha gaped as the others followed his lead, and grunted when Kagome elbowed him.

"It's called playing possum," she whispered in his dog ear. "Just go along with it. Maybe we get to the bottom of it and attack from the inside instead."

"Oh, I see," the half-demon grinned, and reluctantly lowered Rozan to the ground. "Take good care of it," he warned the man who picked it up, and received a smirk in return. "You little…"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome pressed, and he fell silent as the men began to bind their hands behind their backs.

* * *

"Identify yourself," a voice barked over the speakers in their ship. "Unauthorized ship, identify yourself immediately or you will be shot down."

"Kinda tight security for a reconstruction zone," Alex murmured to Sesshomaru, as Koga sent over their false registration and identifications over the comm.

"Yes," he agreed, and glanced around. "Look at the crevices in the rocks. There are soldiers there with anti-aircraft weapons."

"Hm," she followed his gaze, but remained silent as Koga slowly maneuvered them closer to the interior area. Suddenly, several smaller ships bearing heavy artillery zoomed in around them, hovering around the ship nervously.

"The registration belongs to a ship long disposed of," the voice informed them, and Koga slammed his fist on the board.

"Goddamn it!"

"There's a barrier around the area preventing magic," Alex realized. "I can't summon!"

"We're trapped," Koga said bitterly, but Sesshomaru smirked.

"I'm surprised you're giving up so easily, Wolf."

"It's either that or be blown to pieces," Koga snapped, but was interrupted by Alex's thoughts.

"If one of you can use your demonic aura to break the barrier, I may be able to use a spell to divert the ships' fire away from us, and blind them long enough for you to get us far enough into firing range," she said, referring to the small laser cannons the ship bore, courtesy of Cid's handiwork.

"It's that or surrender – I'm in," Koga said instantly, and Sesshomaru nodded.

"I can break the barrier easily," he told them, and the two demons blinked as Alex raced out of the bridge.

"What are you doing?" Koga yelled, watching on the monitor as she stood by the cargo bay that opened up on the side of the ship.

"Let me know when the barrier's down!" she called, glancing briefly at the camera. "Just do it!"

"If you insist," Sesshomaru nodded, and closed his eyes.

"Stop it immediately!" the voice ordered, as the demon's aura began to surround the ship and steadily grew stronger.

"Screw you," Koga retorted, turning the speaker off. Sesshomaru ignored the exchange, and within a few long moments the barrier had been burst. "It's down!" Koga told Alex, and saw her nod over the screen.

"Get us out of here, Koga," she ordered, and suddenly pressed the button to slide the large door open.

"What the hell does she think she's doing?" Koga demanded, but Sesshomaru interrupted him sharply.

"Do as the human says and get us away from this place, so I can use the cannons," he said coolly. Koga gritted his teeth but gripped the controls eagerly, accelerating at an alarming speed and whirling the ship around, preparing to break free from the ships that had encircled them. Suddenly, a huge black sphere shot out from their ship, enveloping the enemy ships and blinding their radars.

"Good girl," Koga praised, and used the opportunity to shoot past them. Sesshomaru took his seat at the weapon control, but glanced at the screen momentarily and noticed Alex bracing herself on the edge of the doorway, the wind whipping her hair back as she concentrated on the holding the spell for as long as possible. After a few minutes she was forced to drop it, and the ships began to close in – but by that time, Sesshomaru had enough range to use his cannons.

"Fuck!" the demon uncharacteristically swore, when he realized they had Level Eight shields equipped, and his shots merely bounced off. Within seconds, however, a blast of wind shot past their ship aimed straight at the aggressors, knocking their radar off-balance and temporarily taking down their shield support system as well. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and hit several targets easily before they lost them. He leaned back in his chair as they climbed the sky, and glanced at Koga.

"Amazing – she was able to cast two powerful spells in such a short amount of time," Koga sighed in relief, clearing the Floating Peaks and entering the atmosphere high above Gagazet where the smaller ships weren't able to climb. "Alex, it's good," he said over the speaker. When there was no response the Wolf examined the monitor hurriedly, and saw in horror that she was barely able to support herself any longer. Her hands began to lose their grip on the open doorway, and Koga jumped to his feet. Before he could move any further he realized Sesshomaru was already gone from the bridge, and watched in amazement as the Dog demon appeared on screen and caught Alex by the waist just as she was about to fall from the door.

"Whew," he let out his breath, and used the controls on the bridge to close the door himself.

* * *

"Stupid human," Sesshomaru muttered, supporting the nearly-unconscious young woman with a single arm. Looking down at her pale face he sighed in defeat, forced to admit that she was more powerful than he usually gave humans credit.

"Are we…" she murmured, and he blinked in surprise that she was able to talk. With a sigh he hauled her legs up from underneath her and began to carry her to cabin.

"We lost them," he told her shortly, and she sighed deeply.

"Good…I'm glad…" she smiled weakly, and her eyes closed wearily. "Sesshomaru…thank you…"

* * *

"She's sleeping again," Sesshomaru told his fellow demon, reappearing on the bridge several moments later. "She used too much strength casting those spells."

"I didn't know Dog demons could move that fast," Koga commented, eyeing the demon sideways as Sesshomaru sat down in a screwed-down chair that spun around. "I thought only Wolf demons had that kind of speed."

"_So did I,"_ Sesshomaru admitted to himself, but there was no way in the Nine Hells he would ever tell the other demon that. "You don't know everything, Wolf," he said coolly. Expecting a retort, he was surprised when Koga grinned at him before turning back to his radar, now using full power since they knew enemies were in the area and aware of their presence anyway.

"I owe you one, Taisho," Koga informed him. "If you hadn't had caught her, she'd be dead."

"A human that powerful shouldn't be put to waste," Sesshomaru told him calmly, and Koga restrained the urge to attack him, focusing on the more important matters at hand.

* * *

"Sore?" Koga asked sympathetically, coming into the cabin as Alex struggled to sit up. "It's to be expected, after using so much of your strength," he continued, and handed her a bowl full of some kind of stew. "Here, eat it."

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously, knowing full-well several odd demon concoctions after knowing Koga for almost twelve years.

"It's better you just eat and don't ask," he admitted, and she wrinkled her nose at the smell. "It's better than it smells, trust me," he assured her, and blinked at her doubtful glance. "I mean it this time!"

"Tell me what it is once I finish it?" she asked, and he nodded. Sighing heavily, she raised the brim to her lips and drank it quickly. She lowered it in surprise and began to eat the bits of meat that was in it. "You're right – it _is_ good," Alex nodded. Once she had completely finished the meal, she stretched lazily and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I feel a lot better. Now, what was it?"

"Raw liver in chicken stock," Koga told her, and watched as her face turned green.

"R-raw?" she choked out, holding her stomach. "How the hell did you manage to get raw liver? Or is it better I don't know that either?"

"Cid knows what demons eat," Koga shrugged. "It's fine, trust me. And you feel better, right?"

"Ye-yeah…" she nodded, still a little odd-colored. "Where's Taisho?"

"At the bridge, taking care of the controls," he told her, helping her stand. "That was some impressive spell casting, Alex."

"Thanks," she grinned. "All that damn practice paid off. Glad I could help, since I'm worthless at any kind of control."

"Well, why don't you take a quick shower to wake up and meet us at the bridge," Koga suggested. Striding out of the cabin, he glanced back briefly with a Wolf-like leer. "And I suggest you find some warmer clothes, 'cause it's cold up as far as we are, and I'm trying to save on energy."

"Thanks for the warning," she nodded, and headed toward the shower after grabbing some clothes from the drawer next to the bed.

* * *

"Ahh…that _does_ feel better," she sighed, wearing the same boots and jeans – the only pair she had – along with the crimson turtleneck as before as she toweled her hair dry. Brushing it out vigorously she thought how weird it was to be wearing normal clothes for so long, and winced as she hit a knot. "Damn…" she muttered, flinching as she pulled the brush through the tangle. Once her hair was dry, smooth, and clipped up she headed back to the bridge, to find the two demons playing poker.

"Oh, hey," Koga greeted her with a grin. "If I'd had known you'd be so quick, I would've waited before starting."

"What on earth?" she blinked, inspecting their hands. "Poker? For what?"

"Nothing, yet," Sesshomaru replied, hiding his cards from her view. "No cheating."

"You're so paranoid," she rolled her eyes, and winked over the Dog's shoulder at Koga, who grinned and promptly played his hand.

"Bitch," Sesshomaru muttered. Koga growled in the back of his throat, but Alex shrugged.

"Them's the breaks," she smiled overly-sweetly at the tall demon and made herself in another chair. "What now? We have no idea if anyone from the Garden is still alive, and the soldiers are most likely waiting for the moment we have to leave the clouds."

"If you haven't noticed, we've been gliding with the atmosphere currents," Koga pointed out, proud of his piloting skills for which he was praised for at the Garden, being one of the best pilots there. "We should be miles away from Gagazet at this point."

"That doesn't answer my question," she replied. "That means you don't have any idea."

"Nope," Koga shrugged, and Sesshomaru snorted.

"You certainly don't, human."

"Correct," she admitted, completely unabashed. They fell silent, each pondering their private thoughts as the cards and chips lay scattered on the small bench-like table that rose from the middle of the floor of the lower level of the bridge like a wave cresting the ocean surface.

* * *

I got inspiration last night as I fell asleep, much to my surprise. I'm glad I had it, though! Please review!


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